Could Something Disastrous Happen to Your House this Winter?

Although it still technically is fall, it definitely already feels like winter in Canada. And as the first official day of winter gets closer and closer, it is important to remember that the season often impacts many different things and that we should be prepared.

Winter weather can take a toll on a lot of things: driving, your car, your skin, your mood, and your overall health.

Something that often gets overlooked though is how winter weather can affect someone's home.

A recent Zoocasa blog post outlined four ways in which homeowners can protect their house against the harsh winter weather. These tips and tricks are outlined below.

Drain outdoor pipes

According to the blog post, when water freezes it expands. In the winter, this could result in undrained pipes expanding with the water and potentially bursting. In order to prevent this, according to Zoocasa, outdoor pipes should be drained and sealed throughout the winter months.

Check your heating system

This tip is pretty self-explanatory, there is nothing worse than a cold house in the winter. In order to prevent a few unpleasant weeks in the cold while you wait to get your heating fixed, test out your heating system for any issues before the super cold weather strikes.

Seal any gaps

Another fairly self-explanatory tip. Gaps in windows, walls, or doors can reduce the efficiency of your heating unit and eventually costing you more money.

According to the Zoocasa blog post, "You can prevent this by going around your home or condo and quickly look to see whether or not there are any gaps bigger than the width of a nickel you can seal with a caulking gun."

Clean out the gutters

Doing a regular clean out of the gutters, even though it may not sound that exciting, can help homeowners a ton, especially during the winter. Zoocasa notes that a messy gutter can result in dams which can cause water damage to a roof. This can often be more common in the winter since dams can freeze over, which often result in even more issues once the dams thaw, refreeze, and seep into the roof.